Snap Judgment

August 2nd, 2024, started with a search. More than 150 women rounded up into chow hall as their cells were tossed.  What happened next was beyond their imagination. It would be investigated by the feds and the state. Things did not go to plan, or did they? Part 2 of 3.

This episode contains violence against women, sexual assault, and strong language. Please take care while listening. 

"We Are Jane Doe" is a new 3-part series from KQED’s Snap Studios. Over three episodes, we trace Ali Prout's dramatic fight for justice and the stunning ripple effects that threaten to u...

Ali Prout had only been at the Central California Women’s Facility for a few days when an officer stopped her at a checkpoint. “You have beautiful lips and beautiful eyes,” he said. But he didn’t realize… this time he’d picked the wrong girl. Part 1 of 3.

This episode contains violence against women, sexual assault, and strong language. Please take care while listening. 

"We Are Jane Doe" is a new 3-part series from KQED’s Snap Studios. 

Over three episodes, we trace Ali Prout's dramatic fight for justice and the stunning ripple effects that thr...

A man washes up on shore in Sitka, Alaska and finds himself in the middle of an underground boxing show. It’s a place where you might duke it out with the bartender, the locals, or your own troubled past.

This episode contains violence and strong language. Sensitive listeners, please be advised.

Thank you, Jaed “The Stone” Coffin, for sharing your story with us! For more about Jaed’s story, check out his memoir Roughhouse Friday.

Produced by Bo Walsh, original score by Doug Stuart, artwork by Teo Ducot

Snap Classic - Season...

On the volcanic island of La Palma biologists unravel a massive mystery. Is it a crime scene, a treasure or a dream come true? And in the town of Trinidad a grade school trip to the ocean is about to get beautiful, raw, and wild.

Whalecano

On the volcanic island of La Palma biologists unravel a massive mystery. Is it a crime scene, a treasure or a dream come true?

A huge thank you to Paula Alonso, and Dr. Antonio Fernandez for sharing your story with Snap!

Produced by Erick Yáñez...

In sweet home Alabama, from the heart of Libya, comes a renegade candidate with a boombox and a head scarf. The cheerleaders, the geeks, the dweebs and the freaks are about to send a message the country needs right after 9/11.

A very big thank you to Yasmin! Yasmin is a comedian and storyteller. You can follow her on Instagram @yasminelhahahady or TikTok @yasmin_elhady. She first told a version of this story at Story District in Washington, DC.

Produced by Justin Kramon, original score by Renzo Gorrio, artwork by Teo Ducot.

Snap Classic...

There’s a jumbie in a jalopy and the spirits are flowing during happy hour on St. Thomas. Plus, everybody kicks butt in Lee’s Los Gatos Spin Class but Cycle 23 is out of this world. 

Snap Judgment presents this year's Campfire Tales... "Hot Wheels.” A supernatural summer tradition that features stories from our evil twin Spooked. Spooked drops weekly, you can listen on any podcast platform. Tune in and be afraid...

STORIES

Joyride

There’s a jumbie in a jalopy and the spirits are flowing during happy hour on St. Thomas.<...

Hold onto your mullets! British drummer Nick Murphy and his band are overjoyed after signing a record deal with THE Quincy Jones in 1984. That is, until a chance encounter with one of the biggest stars in the world changes everything. And the story of a talented luchador who has an uphill battle to get the crowd and the press on his side.

STORIES

Feelabeelia: One-Hit Wonder?

Hold onto your mullets! British drummer Nick Murphy and his band are overjoyed after signing a record deal with THE Quincy Jones in 1984. That is, until a...

A pizza delivery guy goes full superhero out on the job. And a husband trying to bring joy to his pregnant wife pays a high price to satisfy her sweet tooth. 

Super Pizza Man

A pizza delivery guy goes full superhero out on the job. 

A huge thank you to Nicholas Bostic for sharing your story!

Nick would go on to be awarded the prestigious Carnegie Medal of Honor; the highest civilian honor for heroism. He currently runs his own lawn care business in Lafayette, Indiana. 

Produced by Bo Wal...

The dead man does not know the value of his coffin. 

This episode comes to us from Mind Your Own! Mind Your Own is a storytelling podcast navigating what it means to belong, all from the African perspective. Join Lupita Nyong’o as she shares tales of her own and dives into the lives of real people finding their way in new worlds of every kind. Listen to and enjoy Mind Your Own on any podcast platform! 

This episode contains strong language and graphic imagery. Sensitive listeners, please be advised.

“Comeuppance”

12-year-ol...

Chase the storm until it chases you.

Tornadoes! They don’t look like they do in the movies. When you’re in the path of one, all you’ll see is a wall of black wind. This week, Snap is heading directly into the monster’s maw to chase storms that should be left alone.

Big thanks to Craig Wolter! Thank you, Windom High School… especially Sarah, Benny, and Danielle. Crystal Frank, another student on the trip, shared her home video with us. This story would not have been possible without her.

Many thanks als...

Randy, the local surfing legend is in a one-man battle with the blaze at Sunset Point. Plus, the blizzard of the century traps four men on top of a Tennessee bald, frozen and hungry, but with a song in their heart.

Sunset Point

Randy, the local surfing legend is in a one-man battle with the blaze at Sunset Point. 

Thanks to Randy and Andrew for sharing your stories with us.

Thanks to the whole Sunset Point surf crew. Special thanks to Sonya Geis, Phil Richards, and KCRW. And shout to Los A...

Dad goes into hero mode and no hurricane, no barricade, no live power line is gonna stand between him and his daughter’s wedding day.

Father of the Bride

Dad goes into hero mode and no hurricane, no barricade, no live power line is gonna stand between him and his daughter’s wedding day.

Thank you David Jones and his daughter Elizabeth Marquez for sharing their story! 

David is a performance excellence coach and consultant for businesses and the founder and president of the Excellence Advisory.

Produced by Bo Walsh...

Today, we are sharing the debut episode of First America, the brand-new history podcast from Critical Frequency and Pushkin Industries.

Hosted by award-winning journalist Rebecca Nagle and featuring leading Native historians, First America explores how Native people have been left out of the American story. And without them, that story is wrong. From the Declaration of Independence to the founders' real motivations for rebellion and the government they built, First America reveals the true story of the founding of the United States – and how today's political moment has been 250 years in the making.

In this pr...

A teenager is trapped behind the wheel of a speeding SUV with a mind of its own. It’s blowing through intersections at high speed, police in hot pursuit, Mom’s on with 911… and one lone trooper has got a crazy idea. And -- when NASA loses contact with a spacecraft over 12 billion miles away, scientist Suzanne Dodd has to throw a Hail Mary.

When the system crashes, when the first responders can’t respond, when you’re left all alone... what do you do? For the next four weeks, we’re sharing stories of people trying to think the...

One man takes it upon himself to reintroduce the beaver to Belgium. When his proposal to the Ministry of Conservation is rejected he takes matters into his own hands. And -- the "Home Alone" Curse is all too real. 

The Belgian Beaver Bandit 

Sacré bleu! The damn beavers are on the loose! Belgium authorities are hot on the tail of Oliver Rubbers. A renegade with a wild mission… bring the beaver back.

Thank you, Olivier Rubbers, for sharing your story with us! Olivier now lives with his wife and kids in Belgium and is st...

From our friends at Love and Radio, the groundbreaking new series Blood Memory. In this first episode, two women meet the same man in prison and walk away with decidedly different impressions of him.

“Sometimes, if you want something great, you have to make a lot of sacrifices.”

You can listen to the rest of the series over at the Love and Radio podcast! Stay tuned after this episode for an interview with Love and Radio creator Nick van der Kolk and Snap Producer John Fecile.

This episode featured the voices of Ariel, Heat...

The story of a self proclaimed “drunk drag queen,” and the music that saved them. Plus, we go on an adventure underwater to visit a secret kingdom for seahorses.

STORIES

Movement

From the podcast, Movement, we spotlight the story of a self proclaimed” drunk drag queen,” and the music that saved them.

Produced by Meklit Hadero and Ian Coss. The Movement show was co-created by Julie Caine.

You can find all of San Cha’s music and projects at churchofsancha.com.

If you want to find more stories at...

Little Sammy has three loves. Bumble bees, the Bible and boys. Raised by preachers, he’s kept one of these secret, but Deliverance Day is on the way.

A very big thank you to Dr. Sammy Ramsey and Pastor Roosevelt Ramsey for sharing their story! You can learn more about Sammy and his work with bees here.

Big love and thanks to Lulu Miller as well. 

Sammy and Lulu work together to make a kids podcast for Radiolab, it’s called Terrestrials and they just dropped an episode all about dads in the anima...

We’re sharing an episode of What It’s Like to Be… from New York Times bestselling business book author Dan Heath. On the podcast, Dan explores the world of work, one profession at a time, and interviews people who love what they do. He finds out: How does a stand-up comedian come up with new material? Does a cattle rancher ever get attached to certain calves? What are the clues that suggest fraud to a forensic accountant? If you’ve ever met someone whose work you were curious about, and you had 100 nosy questions but were too polite to ask…...

Two women set sail on a tiny boat embarking on a journey to freedom that takes them across the globe. And a Hungarian composer dreams of changing the world… he did. 

This episode contains strong language, violence, and mentions suicide. Sensitive listeners please be advised.

From Russia With Love

Two women, a tiny boat, the wide-open ocean… and kismet.

Elena has written a book about their adventure, called Talking to the Moon. You can read the story on the couple’s website.

Produced by Liz Mak, original score by Leon Mo...

A Coast Guardsman scans the dark, starry horizon with a pair of night vision goggles. He’s looking for hazards in the water and other ships. But nothing can prepare him for what he’s about to see. And -- in Hilo, Hawaii, hula sisters are about to take the stage at the 1986 Merrie Monarch Festival. They’ve been practicing for months. But the gods have other plans. 

This supernatural story comes to us from our evil-twin, Spooked! You can listen to Spooked on any podcast platform, episodes drop weekly. 

Coast Guard Haunts

It’s mid...

Elmer Gantry gets an offer to join a notoriously unstable rock n’ roll band on a tour of the US. What could possibly go wrong? And the infamous Pine Tar Game of baseball superstar George Brett… told by the bat boy.

STORIES

The Real Fleetwood Mac

Elmer Gantry gets an offer to join a notoriously unstable rock n’ roll band on a tour of the US. What could possibly go wrong?

Thanks, Elmer, for sharing your story with us! Learn more about Elmer Gantry’s music in this blog post that producer...

You don't always need words to speak up.

Silence Speaks

In a time when words were dangerous, Grigory found a way to speak up using silence. Mimes. Robots. Mermaids. You’ll only hear a story like this on Snap Judgment.

Thank you Grigory for sharing your story! Check out Grigory’s work on his Youtube...watch Man and the Sea, The Acrobats, Jungle, and Black Square, recorded by Grigory before he left the Soviet Union.

Produced by John Fecile, original score by Renzo Gorrio.

Marcel on the Train

Du...

At 101 years old, Deborah discovered a box she'd stashed away a lifetime ago. What was inside reignited an old love and turned her life upside down.

This is an episode from a podcast we love, Heavyweight. We are so excited to share it with you! Heavyweight, hosted by Jonathan Goldstein, creates space for difficult conversations and resolving long-standing regrets and unanswered questions. Balancing humor and empathy, host Jonathan Goldstein helps his subjects pinpoint the moment things went wrong and joins them on a quest to make them right. 

Find Heavyweight wherever you get your podcasts!  Or...

The Fire Girls blast their sirens to salute Amika as she is released from prison after seven years. She has no career, no home, no money, and teenage children who have been waiting for their mom to return. But the hardest part of regaining her freedom, would be believing that she is worthy.

This episode contains graphic imagery. Sensitive listeners please be advised. 

Thank you, Amika Mota, for sharing your story with us!

Fire Escape, the 6-part series is dropping weekly on the Snap Judgment podcast feed. You can access the bonus episodes h...

As wildland fires burn hotter and stronger across California, Amika and the incarcerated firefighters are put in extreme danger. At a massive, out of control fire, Amika must defy orders for the sake of the women on her crew.

This episode contains graphic imagery. Sensitive listeners please be advised. 

Thank you, Amika Mota, for sharing your story with us!

Fire Escape, the 6-part series is dropping weekly on the Snap Judgment podcast feed. You can access the bonus episodes here.

Fire Escape is a production of Snap Studios at KQED, made i...

Amika and the Fire Girls are called to the scene of a terrible crash to rescue the passengers from the wreckage. Amika realizes the driver of the car is intoxicated. While saving his life, she reckons with lives lost and the harsh future awaiting the young patient. Back at the firehouse, Amika’s crew are called out to a Christmas Eve emergency. 

This episode contains strong language and graphic imagery. Sensitive listeners please be advised. 

Thank you, Amika Mota, for sharing your story with us!

Fire Escape, the 6-part series is dropping weekly on t...

At the firehouse, Amika plans a drop – a secret plan to sneak forbidden cell phones to her friends still on the inside. She begins to worry she might get caught. And then she’s called to an emergency involving one of her jailers.

This episode contains strong language and graphic imagery. Sensitive listeners please be advised. 

Thank you, Amika Mota, for sharing your story with us!

Fire Escape, the 6-part series is dropping weekly on the Snap Judgment podcast feed. You can access the bonus episodes here. 

Fire Escape is a produc...

Amika is thrown in the hole for forty days. Locked in a windowless cell, she can hear the women through the walls losing their sanity. To protect herself, Amika must shut down all connections with everyone she loves: her cellies, her mom, and even her kids. The world looks dark until she sees a small light that may illuminate a path to her new life when she gets a call from the firehouse.   

This episode contains strong language and graphic imagery. Sensitive listeners please be advised. 

Thank you, Amika Mota, for sharing your story with us...

How did Amika Mota go from a midwife and mother of three to a prisoner inside one of the largest women's prisons on Earth? 

Handcuffed to a hospital bed, awaiting trial, Amika tries to come to grips with the tragic crash that cost one man his life and took her away from her children. Inside the Chowchilla prison walls, she faces the "green cops" and the threat of solitary confinement. Outside the walls sits Firehouse Five, the home of the legendary crew of incarcerated firefighters called the Fire Girls.

This episode contains descriptions of a c...

Strapped in a harness, on the edge of a mountain, the snow bridge lets out a hollow crack as it gives way. The story of two climbers whose fates are intertwined by a length of rope.

Big thanks to Jim Davidson for sharing his story!

Jim wrote a book with Kevin Vaughan about surviving the fall on Mt. Rainier, called The Ledge. He also wrote a book about his experiences during and after the Nepal earthquake called The Next Everest. Check them out!

Produced by Justin Kramon, original score by Renzo Gorrio, artwork...

Snap+ is the new subscription membership program from Snap Judgment. You’ll get an ad-free stream, special behind-the-scenes features, and even some virtual hangs with Glynn. Bonus episodes will drop every month. 

Join us! Sign up at Supercast. 

A musical prodigy from Kansas becomes a renowned race woman in Chicago, a tabloid sensation in Harlem, and a musical force the world over. These are the many lives and loves of one of the most famous women of the era: Nora Holt. Starring Nichole Hill, Natalie Tulloch, and Christabel Nsiah-Buadi.

This incredible story comes to us from Our Ancestors Were Messy, a show about our ancestors and all their drama. 

It dives into the gossip, scandals, and pop culture that made headlines and then history in pre-Civil Rights Era America. Host Nichole Hill takes h...

Zaki is in Kabul running an indie newspaper called The Etilaatroz. The Taliban are approaching the city, and the entire newsroom is on edge. But the question in Zaki’s mind is, “How do we save the paper?” Plus, a story from a journalist who decides what belongs in her bag.

Last Paper Standing

This story contains graphic imagery, sensitive listeners please be advised.

Thank you to Zaki Daryabi for sharing your story with Snap! Extra thanks to Luft Ali Sultani and the entire team at Etilaatroz.

If you want to learn...

What if you invented something the whole world knows but someone else took the credit? This week on Snap, we uncover the story of Krazy George, a shy wood-shop teacher turned professional cheerleader, who sparked a phenomenon from the stands of the Oakland Coliseum.

A huge thank you to the man, the myth, the legend… Krazy George Henderson for sharing your story.

At 80 years young, George is still banging his drum for the Spartans at his alma mater, San Jose State. He also just celebrated his 50th season cheering professionally for the San Jose Earthquakes of...

A call from the Philadelphia Phillies brings a big league opportunity to a pitcher holding out hope.

Thank you, Brian Mazone, for sharing your story with the Snap! After retiring from baseball in 2010, Brian started a new career in medical supply sales in the San Diego area. To read more about Brian’s journey in baseball, check out the article from the Washington Post by Dave Sheinin which inspired this story.

Produced by Bo Walsh, edited by Anna Sussman, original score by Dirk Schwarzhoff, art by Teo Ducot.

Season 17 - Episode 12

A Los Angeles radio show prank-calls random French citizens and unintentionally reach le président. A hotheaded comedian gets into a fight. Plus, a seven-year parking spot war. 

This episode contains strong language, sensitive listeners please be advised.

The French Connection

A Los Angeles radio show prank-calls random French citizens and unintentionally reach le président. 

A very big thank you to Ralph Garman & Kevin Ryder for sharing their story with Snap! Radio rules.

Produced by Max Jungreis, original score by Renzo Gorrio, edited by Nancy López + Anna Sussm...

When the man in charge of a small, insular northern Ohio town wreaks havoc on his followers, a young Amish boy with a passion for good hair tries to clean up the mess.

Produced by Shaina Shealy, original score by Renzo Gorrio. 

Season 17 - Episode 10

An ecologist in Maine fears she will be criticized because she "communicates with animals." Then a tiny, collared Dove told her he could read her mind. And – a man in Alaska hears a rumor about the elusive blue bear. He never gave it much thought until a friend convinced him to search for one. We're wrapping up the FEVER series this week! Tune in. 

STORIES

When Doves Cry

An ecologist in Maine fears she must be crazy because she communicates with animals. Then a tiny, collared Dove told her he could read her min...

From puppy love to stolen moments to the thrill of the chase... their relationship made headlines.

A huge thank you to Toby Dorr for sharing her story with Snap!

Toby is an author, speaker and criminal justice reform advocate. She’s also the founder of the Fierce Grace Movement, a nonprofit organization dedicated to uplifting women impacted by incarceration  through storytelling and mentorship. 

There's so much that we were not able to share about Toby’s experience... to find out more, check out Toby’s memoir “Living With Conviction” 

Produced by Bo Walsh, edi...